


Should the Whole World Despise Us

by steak_sandwich



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: AU, M/M, Medieval, Prince Leon, Slow Burn, bit of a slow start sorry but I hope it's ok, dragon boi raihan, gonna be a time skip eventually, haven't written in like three years so prob rusty as hell, having fun with this lol, kabu knight, prince hop, squire gordie but he ain't here yet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2020-01-09
Packaged: 2021-02-24 18:34:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22002580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/steak_sandwich/pseuds/steak_sandwich
Summary: Leon is used to spending every one of his days sheltered with no friend to call his own, until one day his father's Knights lead an expedition to the Lake of Outrage and bring back with them more than he'd expected, a friend.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan
Comments: 20
Kudos: 132





	1. To be Stuck in a Castle

Hammerlocke, undoubtedly one of the grandest cities within the Galar Kingdom, easily thriving with the tourism it attracts alone, every day people would spill in from the Wild Area, laden with money to spend on useless knick knacks that vendors like to disguise as "souvenirs".  
The vendors specifically liked to target those who had just finished touring the outskirts of the castle walls, because who better to target than those who would throw their money on a tour only to gain trivial knowledge from it?

There were those who were wise to these kinds of scams, as well, and much preferred to spend their money on more meaningful things, like restaurants, because at least a meal with your favourite pokemon would yield good memories, or clothes, because at least they'd last.

The third kind of tourist was the type who wouldn't spend any money at all, but instead traipsed the outskirts of the castle walls multiple times in hopes of catching a glimpse of one of the members of the royal family, even if it was just a hair on their head they ended up spying.

Umbeknowst to all of these types of people, they were being watched.  
Prince Leon, in fact, took enjoyment out of watching his subjects, he supposed, milling around and living their lives from the comfort of his room.  
There was a perfect view of the main square, but that's all he could see, and that was all he was allowed to see of the outside world.

He sighed, retreating back to his bed and flopping down in a type of protest, even if nobody was there to see it.  
Even if people seemed boring, even if they seemed like Wooloos, always following the trend of another, he still wished he could venture outside the courtyard just once.  
He wanted to _meet_ these kinds of people, talk to them, laugh with them, hell, even dance with them if he had to, but he knew that no matter how many times he asked, he still wouldn't get the answer he desired.

It felt like hours that he laid there, staring up at the ceiling and counting as many cracks as he could when he was interrupted by the knights outside talking at length about their next expedition into the Wild Area, and he couldn't help but move to the door to get a better listen out of curiousity, brushing his hair aside as he pressed his ear to the heavy door.

"We've had scouts sent ahead to the Lake of Outrage.. And they haven't returned, Sir."  
There was a momentary silence after that, and before it dawned on the prince that he'd been discovered, the door to his room opened and he stumbled forward gracelessly, cursing at the culprit before seeing who it was.

He recovered and got to his feet, lazily brushing off the non existent dust before discovering just who opened the door, and of course it was none other than Sir Kabu, even though he was well respected by all within the castle's walls, he still had yet to garner such respect from the young prince.  
"Kabu! How dare you!" He grumbled, folding his arms petulantly.  
The knight simply smiled wryly, used to receiving this kind of behaviour by now.  
"Don't you know it's bad manners to eavesdrop? Sire?" He retorted, decidedly not waiting for an answer before retreating with the other knights to continue the conversation.

As soon as he watched them leave he felt a wave of sadness wash over him at the realisation that yes, they were heading outside again and no doubt his father would be joining them while he'd be stuck in this rundown castle, forced to entertain his mother and his little brother.  
As much as he loved Hop, there wasn't anything fun he could do with a baby who could barely walk or talk yet, not that it'd be any more fun for them to spend time together within the castle walls when they grew older, either.

He sighed and decided to just bite the bullet, it was almost time for lunch anyway.

-

Just as he'd thought, his father was nowhere to be seen the moment he'd reached the dining hall, but he kept the disappointment at bay and put on a smile the moment he turned the corner to greet his mother, kissing her cheek before taking up a seat nearby.

A mother's instinct knows no bounds, because even though he was smiling, she could tell that his heart just wasn't in it, and she could definitely guess why, but she didn't question it until he finished his meal.  
"What's the matter, sweet Dandelion?"  
_She knew that got him, and he hated it._  
He chewed his lip in thought, hesitating and ignoring the flush in his cheeks, before shaking his head and planting a fake smile once more.  
"Nothing."  
But she persisted, nobody knew him more than her.  
"I know that's not true.. You wanted to go with your father, didn't you? The Lake of Outrage- The Wild Area itself is too dangerous-"

"Not if I have the knights with me.." He protested, even though he used the very same argument countless times before, and his mother always won the argument in the end, but he always forgot how.  
He shook his head quickly, resigning himself to forever be stuck within these castle walls.  
"Forget it.." He added, voice laced with sadness and a hint of guilt tripping.  
His mother wouldn't be for turning, though, and one look at her blank expression told him that, and he knew, he just knew what she was going to say next.  
"Why don't you bathe Hop for me?"

He sighed, as if that was going to take his mind off of it.

-

Even though Hop wasn't extremely verbal yet, Leon found himself reading him the Legend of Hammerlocke, and if he was honest, it was more for his enjoyment than his little brother's because regardless of reading this story over and over again, he still would never tire of it, he just wished he was /cool/ enough to be legendary one day, too.

-

With a sword in hand, Leon was finally able to venture into the Wild Area, and there were no guards or knights to get in his way.  
He took in a sharp breath before running to his destination.  
_follow the red light_  
He wasn't sure what that meant, but he decided to listen to his intuition and run deeper into the Wild Area until he found this supposed red light.  
_follow the red light_  
He was panting all of a sudden, still unaware of just what the red light was supposed to be until a light beamed up from underneath his feet and suddenly he was stood atop a massive... bear? surrounded by a forest.

He gritted his teeth in anticipation and raised his sword high until the bear-like pokemon let out a baby cry.

He woke immediately to Hop's cries and sighed before quickly doing his best to soothe him, petting his hair usually did the trick and eventually his cries stopped.  
"Let's get you back to mummy, shall we?" He lifted him off of the bed.  
"Damn, you're getting heavy." He laughed.

He headed back to the parlour, knowing it was his mother's favourite place to relax, and he was glad he at least did her a service by giving her a break from Hop, Arceus, he loved him, but he could be especially needy, if seeing his little brother cling to her as soon as he returned him was anything to go by.

He smiled fondly and pressed a kiss into his hair before hearing a commotion from the courtyard, and it didn't sound good, either, was it some kind of attack?  
Steeling himself, he stood to full height and puffed out his chest, he knew he always had to be the man in situations where his father was out of the castle, and if he was honest, he kind of enjoyed the responsibility, especially if it was a welcome distraction from the boredom of this place.

"Stay here, I'll go and see what's going on." He reassured, rushing to the scene of the commotion and closing the doors behind him.

Bloodied, burned, bruised, the knights had returned from the Wild Area after all, and the moment Leon approached the scene he was left stunned, for whatever they had found at the Lake of Outrage they decided to bring with them for whatever reason.  
He'd never seen anything of the like before.  
They appeared to be human, but at the same time the scales and wings said otherwise.  
The piercing cold stare from those azure eyes was all that he could remember, and it stunned him momentarily.  
_It was beautiful..._

"Go back inside!"  
He snapped back to reality and the moment he felt the danger he decided to listen to the words uttered in his direction, he felt himself trembling but he wasn't sure if it was anticipication or from fear.  
He grappled with the door, fingers clumsy from the haste and finally opened the door back into the castle, closing it swiftly behind him.

_You coward_  
He shut his eyes tight and sobbed as he heard the screams echo around him.


	2. Feral

The Wild Area was a fitting name given to such a place, teeming with many Pokemon who for want of a better word could destroy you if you were unguarded or unprepared, and although there were probably more harmless Pokemon, it was always better to be safe than sorry.  
There were those who decided to brave the wilds purely for the taste of danger and even though it was ill advised, those were the kinds who were always drawn to the most dangerous area of all, The Lake of Outrage.

This time a group of scouts decided to survey the area, and although they were advised by Sir Kabu not to cross the lake, only to report what they saw on the surface, the moment one of the scouts decidedly ignored the advice and free their corvisquire to fly across, itching to go where no man had dared to in years, the others had followed suit.

More grassland upon grassland, trees dotted here and there, there were some dangerous Pokemon, of course, but nothing more dangerous than the like they had seen before.  
The leader of the scouts simply laughed as soon as he realised, assumed, there was nothing to be afraid of.  
"Where is this impending doom others speak of? The Eye of Axew is more dangerous than this."

As if perturbed by the alien voices disturbing the peace of the outskirts of the lake, a roar sounded from seemingly nowhere, leaving the entire group frozen on the spot, silenced as they awaited.  
"A-arceus, what was that?" One of them finally cut the silence when no other sound could be heard save the trickling water nearby.

"...Be on your guard." The leader said simply, taking the venture a lot more seriously.

-

The sight that Kabu was met with when he finally lead his Knights to the Lake was not one that was for the faint hearted, that was for sure, and he was relieved that the King decided to journey elsewhere, apparently to pick up a gift for the Prince's birthday.

Bodies were strewn everywhere, bloodied, broken, some didn't even look human anymore, just carcasses that had undoubtedly been chewn on afterward.  
"You fools..." He sighed.  
"We'll have to recover these after we've slain whatever caused the damage." He remarked pointedly, leaning down to examine what he could before tutting and drawing his sword.

"Whatever did this, be it Pokemon or beast, we have to dispatch it immediately, save it harm anyone else. Look around for any traces of where it could be."

-

They were there for what felt like hours, even if it was nothing more than a small island, the creature appeared to be completely hidden somehow, until finally a breakthrough had been made.  
Right in the corner of the island one of the younger Knights discovered a dip in the ground, and a simple brush of the foot revealed what looked to be a cave.  
"Sir! Could this be where the creature resides?" He called out, moving aside to let Kabu assess.

He brushed his fingers over the disturbed soil and took in a deep breath.  
"Men, I do not know what manner of creature we will discover down here, but stay alert, and keep together."  
And with that brief warning he jumped bravely into the hovel, expecting the others to follow suit with ease.

Thankfully the landing was somewhat soft, albeit gruesome, the stench that filled the hovel gave away immediately the location of the scouts he didn't find on the ground above and he did his best to steel himself and not let his emotions get the best of him, he had to be the strong one after all.  
He couldn't help but cough, though, and he almost cursed himself because even that was too much noise to give away the fact he was here.

He hushed the Knights behind him as soon as they landed one by one.  
"Ready your weapons, I can hear it breathing nearby." He whispered, taking careful steps through the dark hovel, feeling his way around carefully so as not to walk straight into the creature.

-

If he was honest, he already had his suspicions as to what caused the damage, for he'd seen the like of these casualties before, and he had put an end to the beast's rampage alongside the King, it was what had earned him his easy path to Knighthood after all, and there was no way he'd forget it.  
There was no doubt in his mind that it was a dragon, much more vicious than any Pokemon type, for sure.  
What he wasn't prepared for was the possibility of fighting two of them at once, for the moment he'd turned a corner and seen the light of the dragon's flames and the reflection of its gold collection, he could see the silhouettes of two creatures asleep there.

Creatures. One was definitely a lot different to any dragon he had ever seen.  
He stopped the line of Knights behind him and quietened them once more, going over the plan he concocted in his head on the journey through the hovel, and even though he hadn't planned on fighting two of them, he had to quickly change his plan to accommodate the pair of them.

"Take out the larger beast, the smaller one probably bears no danger, we will capture it and have the physician study it." He mused.  
"Are you sure-"  
"Yes." Kabu cut off, slowly inching forward so as to attempt a quick strike to the dragon, if he learned anything, it was that a dragon's main weak spot other than its heart is its neck.  
And one was impossible to reach at this point.

The moment he got near, though, the smaller creature's- boy's- eyes snapped open and let out a shriek of warning to the dragon before flitting into Kabu's direction in a poor attempt of attack.  
He was winded briefly but it gave him enough purchase to grab the boy and overpower him, only to be knocked back by the dragon's hefty claw, and only then did he realise it was only he who had made the move.  
"Attack it! Go for the neck or heart!"

And with that the other Knights sprang into action, and even though he felt like nothing more than a coward, Kabu decided to restrain the child once more as they dispatched the dragon.  
The dragon had the upper hand for the longest time, considering nobody other than Kabu held the experience of slaying one, and even though it wasn't the best time to be giving the group a learning curve, he decided to let them keep trying.

Finally a deep stab from the young Knight to one side of the dragon had it meet its end, and with a final pained roar and a last taste of fire in the young Knight's direction, it fell to the floor with a heavy thud.  
The young Knight threw aside his helmet in glee, and to avoid getting his face burned from the temperature of the metal, if he was honest.  
"I did it.."

-

The child was placid for the rest of the way out of the hovel, as if they'd completely given up on life, and Kabu wondered if there was any point to binding him if he posed no threat.  
He decided not to in the end, he was still a child after all, even if he appeared to be under some kind of curse, what with the scales, horns, and small wings portruding from his back.

The other Knights were sceptical about keeping him alive at all, but nobody dared go against Kabu's decision.

He tried to play the kind card, which probably wasn't his wisest decision considering they just killed the child's supposed companion... mother?  
He had hoped that the physician would at least ask questions.  
But he had supposed that he would have to present the child to the King whenever he returned.

He tried the smile approach first, soothing his voice as much as he could, which was hard giving his probable gruff appearance.  
"Do you have a name, child?" He tried.

No answer, he knew it wouldn't be that easy, and after a few more attempts at unanswered questions, he decided to simply leave him be.  
It wasn't much further back to the castle anyway, but the moment they set foot back into Hammerlocke, something seemed to snap in the child and he shrieked in protest, slashing at anyone who dared touch him.

"No! Not here!" 

_So he could speak_

But now wasn't the time for such musings, he'd have to try and calm him down first, he had no idea what exactly about Hammerlocke that sparked this reaction, but for the good of the residents and for the good of the royal family he had to right this wrong before anyone came to harm.

Thankfully they managed to wrangle the child into the courtyard and shut off any doors surrounding them when he still wouldn't calm down.  
"Come on child, I won't let any harm come to you-"   
The reassurance was met with a slash to his face, and he could feel the warm blood dripping right away, but he ignored the pain when something more important came to his attention.

The sound of a door opening from behind him, and a glimpse of his Prince's golden eyes was enough for him to worry about the danger.  
"Go back inside!" He roared, holding onto the child tighter so as not to let him slip from his grasp.

And the moment he heard the heavy thud of the door shutting again, he decided to just let the child go, restraining him was doing no good after all.  
He held the wound on his cheek, feeling a little giddy from the loss of blood all over his body.

"You're a fierce one, huh.."


	3. Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leon gets carried away and overthinks a lot.
> 
> Happy New Year!  
> I'm not sure when the next chapter will be but hopefully I'll get another written on the weekend.  
> I hope you enjoy this one even if it's a bit short :)

In all of his cowardice, Leon thought that in that moment he wouldn't make a great King in the future at all, and he was definitely not prepared for it.  
He sat at the door for what felt like millenia, coming up with all kinds of words to beat himself about the situation while he let his knights supposedly perish on the other side of the door.

Lost in his musings he hadn't even realised that everything had quietened down outside.  
Was this the calm before the storm?  
He had no idea what the assailant was capable of and he felt a dread wash over him as he quickly came up with all kinds of scenarios about what would happen to him now.  
There was no doubt in his mind that he wouldn't come out of this unscathed, and should he have to die then at least he could take the monster - the beautiful monster - with him and then his mother and Hop would be safe and-

The door budged behind him and he jumped up and away from it in fear, he hoped he imagined the scream that followed.  
He decided it was best to keep hidden behind one of the walls, because then at least he could give the culprit the element of surprise, at least that's what he told himself.  
_So much for being brave._

The door moved again, this time moving at a much faster rate, and Leon was sure he'd have been crushed to the wall had he stayed put.  
He could feel the beads of sweat forming as he peeked around the corner, waiting, waiting in anticipation to see him once more.

What he didn't expect to see was the Knights trailing in, all were injured in some manner or other but it didn't look like anything that couldn't be fixed.  
_But where was his father?_  
He swallowed hard, already assuming that the worst had happened, and how would he have known otherwise?

He still felt completely frozen in place, but this time he felt a sadness wash over him, he had expected to feel angry that they didn't keep him safe, but he felt completely useless instead, and now that he was gone- He knew what would be coming next.  
The tears fell, those treacherous tears that he told himself would never show again, he had to be strong if he was to be King, that's something his father had always taught him, too.

Hearing the broken sobs from nearby, Kabu was alerted to his presence.  
"Your Highness?"  
He closed the space between them quickly, doing his utmost to put an end to whatever caused the upset, he felt this kind of duty fell to him ever since the day the Prince was born.  
He leaned forward the moment he'd reached him, imploring him to tell him what was bothering him.

"Where.. where is my father?" He asked between sobs, finally recovering enough to shoot Kabu a glare.  
He glimpsed the monster nearby and threw them an even more hateful look, disgusted even.  
"Oh.. Oh! He's absolutely fine, my apologies for not reassuring you sooner, Your Highness. He went elsewhere, he had other duties to attend." He replied hastily, reassuringly.  
The relief was more than enough to put the misunderstanding aside, and Leon just sighed and leaned forward for a hug, even if it wasn't _proper._

He peered over his shoulder in curiosity at the monster.  
If it hadn't killed anyone then maybe it wasn't so bad after all, he decided, but he still couldn't help but be wary of it still.  
All his life he had been sheltered, and taught to be distrustful of anything new and unfamiliar, and that was exactly what this situation heeded.

As if sensing the discomfort in the young Prince, having felt his body tense against him once more, Kabu pulled away and glanced back at the boy and back to Leon once more.  
"Your Highness, while your father is away I would like to ask for your permission to have this child examined by the physician, you are well aware right now that he means no further harm."

The thing was, he wasn't aware at all, but he so desired to give that.. thing the benefit of the doubt.  
He chewed his lip in thought, all the while staring in his direction and unaware just how uncomfortable he was making him, when suddenly a question came to his mind because he was curious after all.  
"..Do you have a name?" He asked, taking a careful step towards the creature.

No matter how long he waited for an answer, he had supposed it was too soon to be asking such questions, they were distrustful of each other, after all, and it seemed like the only person he wanted to utter any words to at that point was Kabu.

He deliberated a while longer and thought there would be no harm in it, he really didn't seem like he wanted to hurt anyone anymore, and he decided in the end to extend a little bit of trust, and he smiled at the boy, moving a little closer before extending his hand.  
"As long as you don't hurt anyone here, I don't see why you can't stay here."

But again he was met with silence, and he couldn't help but frown as he dropped his hand to his side, feeling a little put out that the courtesy wasn't returned, because regardless of all of their differences, what Leon really wanted was a friend.  
He sighed and stared at his feet, and Kabu thought it best to take the boy away then.  
"Alright Sire, I'll be taking him now."  
"Of course.. And remember to get checked out yourselves." He murmured, still a little saddened that his attempt at friendship had been thwarted.

He heard the footsteps of the Knights trail away towards the infirmary wing, and he sighed once more, shuffling his feet when a voice made him jump.  
"Raihan."  
He looked up and found that he was still standing there.  
"H-huh?"  
The boy finally returned the smile that he received earlier.  
"That's my name, Raihan."


	4. Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm sorry this came so late I intended to write it yesterday but I got caught up gaming all day.  
> Sorry this is moving at a slow pace, I want to build it as much as possible before events start to happen and I want to explore other things too especially an idea I'm concocting but I'm not sure if I'll make it happen yet because I'm not sure what people will think of it, (it is an au after all so I might well go ahead with the idea) but I hope you enjoy this chapter :')
> 
> Raihan and Leon's friendship is beginning :-)

After the brief exchange between Raihan and the Prince, Kabu did as he was bid and went ahead to lead him to the Infirmary Wing, not that he was included in the injured party but the head physician would know more about whatever affliction seemed to have taken a hold of the boy.  
Kabu glanced back now and then to ensure that he was still following and couldn't help but smile at the childlike curiosity of the boy, peering every which way with his mouth agape in wonder, all but forgetting the dread of his first arrival at Hammerlocke.

They turned into a long, well lit hallway, lined with paintings of the Royal Family as a whole, but mostly of past Kings and Queens at major points in their lives as well as simple portraits.  
Raihan's fascination was displaced by an anger at a particular painting, but he was careful to keep his guard up and not linger too long, moving with a steady haste so he could forget what he saw splashed on the canvas.

The King painted in all his glory, as well as the artist could portray regardless, adorned with intricate details but also awash with thick strokes and a contrast of bright and dark hues.  
That was the beautiful part of the painting, but the subject matter was on a whole, distasteful in Raihan's eyes, he was shown to be brandishing a sword high above his head and yelling triumphantly as he rested one leg upon the creature below.  
Of course this was depicting his victory of slaying the dragon that had terrorised the Kingdom previously, and the dragon wasn't painted as spectacularly because of course nobody cares as such about that.  
What the painting didn't show, though, was the truth of what had really happened that day.

Raihan caught up with Kabu but remained silent the rest of the way to the Wing, even if Kabu prompted him to ask any questions about his curiosities, because of course he'd noticed the sparkle in his eye as he examined the talents of past artists, but he didn't notice his lingering at _that_ painting thankfully.

All kinds of thoughts were running through his head as they made their way through the labyrinthine castle, some plagued by the idea that he wouldn't have any time to mourn the loss of the creature who had raised him, but most of his thoughts fell on ideas of revenge and he knew just what to do as soon as he had spent enough time thinking about it, the size of the castle granted him just enough time to conduct a plan.

The Prince seemed easy enough to dupe, just one simple conversation and name drop was enough to win over his trust, and so he knew he was the best target to enact such a revenge, and if it wasn't for the glance at that painting, the reminder that his father had killed his kind before, then maybe he wouldn't feel such hatred for Leon.

-

As soon as the physician had looked him over and come up with no reasonable conclusion as to his affliction, deciding just as the rest did, that it was some kind of "curse", Kabu took it upon himself to take Raihan from there, leaving the rest of the Knights in recovery with a quick word to each of them as he left.  
If he was honest, he had no idea what to do with him now, but he felt some kind of responsibility for the child all the same, and though he felt awkward, he also enjoyed that responsibility.

"Hm.. I suppose we should keep you out of sight still, let's go back through the back halls again and I'll show you to your room.. At least until the King makes his return because I'm not sure how he'll react."

Raihan's eyes narrowed briefly, he knew how he would react, all that The King was satisfied with was making it rain blood in his eyes.  
He simply smiled wordlessly afterward, keeping up the facade as best he could, he wasn't sure how long he'd be able to do this for but he hoped it would at least build up the trust quickly enough.

The walk back through the same area didn't feel as long, and he purposefully commited to memory just where that painting was situated just so he could avoid glancing its way once more, he knew that any other glimpse at it would turn his stomach, and thankfully before they could arrive at it, Kabu had turned him in a new direction, taking a few more steps further into the darkness until they reached a flight of stairs going downward.

Suddenly he felt uneasy, because going _down_ a flight of stairs in a castle would never bode well, and he hesitated, frozen in place as Kabu started to descend the spiral staircase.  
Kabu sensed his hesitance and stopped, just enough so that he was still in view, and he recognised almost immediately what fueled the hesitance.  
He smiled reassuringly, beckoning him forward.  
"It's alright, I promise, nobody comes down here, really."  
 _That was the problem, so much for building trust, and so much for getting revenge._

He turned tail and bolted in another direction, desperate to go anywhere but down there, there was no doubt in his mind that he would be incarcerated and there was no way he'd take that kind of hell _again._  
Thankfully Kabu having descended the flight of stairs part way afforded him enough time to flee and hide elsewhere, and even though he knew he wouldn't stand a chance of getting away since he probably knew the castle like the back of his hand, he would at least try to prolong it.

He heard him calling him from nearby, far too close for comfort and he couldn't help but drop to his knees and hug them, sobbing, unable to stop even if he knew it'd alert Kabu of his whereabouts eventually.  
 _He couldn't do this again._

Though before he could be discovered, he heard _another_ voice calling him from even closer by, doing their utmost to be quiet and soothing at the same time.  
"Are you ok? What's wrong?"  
He looked up and tried his best to mask his disdain when he saw _him_ instead, throwing on a false smile and drying his face.  
"I... I'm _fine_ " He replied, not quite hiding the vitriol and instead emphasising it.  
Again the Prince was much too dumb and naive to notice, holding out his hand in offering to help him up, which he regretfully took.  
 _Why was he so sickeningly nice?_

"You don't want to sleep underground right? That's fine! I'll smuggle you into my room!" He suggested, laughing gleefully at the prospect of breaking the rules.  
 _This was too easy.._  
"A-Are you sure that's a good idea?" He asked, this time he didn't even need to pretend, because it definitely wasn't a good idea.  
"'Course! It's so much comfier there anyway, and I've never had a friend before-"  
He wasn't taking no for an answer it seemed, because already he was leading him swiftly away from the hiding place through quieter halls again so as not to be seen.  
Maybe he wasn't as stupid as he thought after all.  
And thankfully he didn't have to see that disgusting painting again.

Leon let go of his hand abruptly as they reached their destination, and the door itself may as well have screamed "The Prince is here" with how much more ornate it looked compared to the other rooms.  
He flung it open with a flourish as if not caring about the possible damage he might cause, shouting "Tada!" before practically throwing Raihan into the room and following, closing the door more carefully behind him as if he hadn't completely drawn attention to himself.  
 _Never mind. He was stupid._  
In that moment Raihan had completely forgotten his desire to commit any kind of revenge, because the idea of having a friend too who didn't look at him the way other people did, was all the more tempting, and he had no idea that the boy who threw himself onto his bed in front of him, wanted the exact same.

He rolled his eyes and sat on the edge of the bed.  
"It's like you want to hurt yourself, _Prince_ "  
And all that earned was a laugh.  
"Hey, I'm just happy I finally have a friend."  
Leon nestled further into the pillows and the silence lingered in the room for a while until he finally prodded his tail with a foot.  
"Why don't you lie down? There's enough room."  
"'m fine." He mumbled back, lost in his endless thoughts once more, it wasn't supposed to be like this at all.

As if sensing he wanted to be left alone, Leon did just that, instead watching him with a curiosity and learning all he could about him through simple examinations of his own before finally having the urge to break the silence once more, rolling to Raihan's side and pulling him down.  
 _He was lucky he didn't hurt him with that element of surprise._  
"Let's play a game! You tell me one thing about yourself and I'll tell you something about myself."  
Raihan snorted.  
"Sounds like a boring game, but fine, I'm not very interesting though, what do you want to know?"

"Hmm, were you born in the Lake of Outrage?" He asked, leaning forward in anticipation.  
Raihan's face darkened at the memory and he turned his head.  
"..Another question."  
" _Oh.. Ok, sorry..."_ Leon hummed in thought as he considered a question that wouldn't hurt him.  
"How about you ask me a question, instead?"

Raihan made himself as comfortable as he could while he thought of a question he could ask, but instead he was coming up empty because there was nothing that he really wanted to know, and he was bad at questions anyway.  
"Let's just learn about eachother the normal way." Raihan suggested.  
Leon tilted his head in confusion, because such a prospect was odd to him.  
"The normal way?"  
"Yeah.." He wanted to bite his tongue but instead he took a sharp breath as he continued; "If you spend more time with someone you naturally learn things about them you didn't know before."  
"Oh, like favourite foods?" Leon replied, shifting a little bit closer.  
"Oh that one is easy, I _love_ Slowpoke tail."  
Leon's face screwed up the minute he uttered those words.  
" _That's disgusting"_  
And he couldn't help but let out a laugh.  
"Why? What's wrong with it?"  
"It's chewy... And gross... And Pink!"  
"Alright then, what do you like to eat?" He retorted, giving him a knowing look as he waited for his answer, and he couldn't help but smile as he pouted in what Raihan assumed was shame.  
"...Magikarp."

They spent hours playing that game after all, Leon eventually came up with many questions that didn't associate with any of his past and he was getting good at it until it got too late to continue and they fell asleep side by side.

_Raihan would keep building trust for now._


	5. The Curse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly flashback fic to throw in the twist I considered, please don't hate me for it lmao.

Leon had probably been a little bit _too_ clingy for comfort throughout the entire night, and the moment Raihan felt his arms constricting him, he'd woken up, submerged in darkness but was unable to get another wink at all.  
Even if he had tried to move, it had just made things worse as he was pulled further into the other child's surprising vice grip.

His motivation to move completely waned in the end, and though he could feel his limbs numbing under Leon's weight, he had no choice but to deal with it until the morning.  
"Arceus, I'd better survive the night..." He complained as loudly as he could manage, only to no avail as they fell on deaf ears, not to mention Leon's snores overpowering the sound.

-

He had no idea how he had managed it, but he must have fallen asleep again after all in time, he was suddenly bathed in the rich sunlight of the morning and no longer had deadweight holding him down.  
He stretched immediately, shaking his legs and arms out in an attempt to get the blood flowing as best he could.

"That was the best sleep ever!" He heard briefly and before he could investigate where the sound had come from, he'd been tackled back down into the pillows, letting out a groan of annoyance before shoving him off.

"Easy for you to say." He hissed back, moving languidly off the bed before he could be treated like some soft toy again.  
Leon tilted his head in confusion as he watched his friend move to the window and rest his hands - claws? - on the windowframe, where for the first time he noticed a jewelled bangle fall around Raihan's wrist.  
"That's pretty.." He remarked, taking a step closer and reaching out to touch it.  
"Hands off!" He snapped, slapping his hand away with more force than necessary.  
"...Sorry" He apologised quickly, making quick tracks to the bed once more to hide his face in shame, he did really need to work on his anger issues.

The Prince opened his mouth to quiz him further when thankfully for Raihan the sounds of trumpeting could be heard from near the courtyard, serving as an easy distraction for Leon as he practically launched himself at the window to survey the commotion, gasping as if recognising what was happening.

Raihan raised his head from the pillows a little and squinted through the pane of glass, he was completely baffled and nonethewiser, none of this royal nonsense meant anything to him.  
"Father's back!" He announced with glee, bouncing on his feet excitedly before rushing off to get dressed.  
"Come on Rai! I wanna introduce you!" He pushed, his energy more than overwhelming to him.

He couldn't help but wince at the nickname, how could a nickname slip off of his tongue so easily just a day after they had met?  
The naivety was astounding.  
He decided to comply, for now, his clothes were a ragged mess but he had nothing else to present himself in, not that he cared regardless.  
"I'm ready." He replied curtly, blank faced, only to be met with a onceover from Leon and a tut of disapproval.  
"You can't go looking like _that._  
I'll lend you some of my clothes."  
Raihan wanted to argue but it was clearly useless, by the time he opened his mouth to protest, a wad of garments had already been pelted at him.

-

They were itchy and so, so, uncomfortable, and even though he made quick work of making holes in the clothes for his wings and tail (even if it caused Leon despair to do so) it still didn't seem to make a difference.  
Who would willingly wear silks and laces on a day-to-day basis?  
By now he was already used to being dragged here and there and introduced to practically anyone they had ran into, the idea of hiding him completely thrown out of the window, it seemed.  
 _Or maybe the dim Prince just forgot._  
Most people seemed to surprisingly not show any disdain towards him, for his appearance or otherwise, and he felt this warm feeling inside as he started to feel more accepted, like he maybe could belong among people after all.

He was unprepared for his encounter with the King, though.  
Intimidating was probably too simple a word to describe his demeanour, he was a large, bulky above anything, man who still somehow carried himself with grace and elegance.  
The complete opposite of Leon, who just charged straight at him the moment he saw him, the pair both laughing gleefully.

Raihan decided to hang back, though, he definitely didn't want to be introduced to such an imposing figure, regardless of how kind Leon had claimed him to be.  
Regardless of how nice he seemed to be, he still couldn't shake the feeling that it was a complete facade to placate his people.

He felt a hand slip around his wrist and jumped in fright at the touch, biting back the snarl that nearly tempted its way out of his lips.  
"I found you, where did you go hiding?"  
It was the Knight from before, Kabu, he recalled his name was, at least he thought.  
He pressed his lips into a thin line, knowing he'd only snap if he opened his mouth to respond now, and Kabu seemed to be satisfied with the silence.  
"Come, the King really isn't so bad-" He pulled Raihan forward with him, and he couldn't help but tense as he finally made eyecontact with him.

The smile in his eyes was still there, at first, only upon a silent exchange between the King and the Knight did his face suddenly turn to thunder.  
"Kabu? What is the meaning of this?! You told me you'd disposed of the child."  
"Father?" Leon cut in, confused.  
"Your Majesty..." Kabu bowed. "I'm afraid I haven't been completely honest with you."

-

_20 years ago_

The newly crowned King lounged on his Throne, listening partially to his Knights' reports, which seemed not to differ at all with each passing day, to the point where he'd almost fall asleep in his place if an explanation droned on for too long.  
It was exclusively his Knights and his advisor that reported such happenings to him, he was in the middle of listening to his advisor almost talk his way to an early grave about the benefits of increasing the people's taxes when someone with no title to his name barged into the Throne Room, barely held back by the guards patrolling.

"Your Majesty" Even though he intruded, he still bowed as soon as he stopped at the Throne, knowing his place.  
"I apologise for my rude entrance, if I may continue?"  
The King looked pointedly at the guards lingering nearby, nodding his assent that they could stand down.  
"Please." He insisted, "Go on."

He glanced back at the guards once more to affirm his safety before continuing.  
"There's a dragon terrorising the village of Postwick-" He began, only to be cut off by laughter from practically everyone in the room, even the King.  
"They don't exist..." He replied bluntly. "But I suppose I can humour you, it is pretty confining being stuck here all day anyway."   
He rose to his feet, glancing at his advisor.  
"Sire, I'm not sure-"  
"I've had enough tax discussion for one day." He cut off. "Someone prepare me the travel."

He stepped closer to the man before him, smirking.  
"If this dragon is real then hell I'll make you a Knight." He laughed, slapping the man's shoulder.  
"What is your name?" The King asked.  
"...Kabu."

-

The Slumbering Weald had been blanketed in a heavy fog as it had been usually, but that didn't deter any of the handpicked Knights from withdrawing from the task at hand, they were all still sceptical of whatever truth there was in this stranger's words, but they perservered all the same.  
The group stopped at a monument depicting a Sword and Shield and they were all more than tempted to just give up on this folly, believing nothing of it until a Knight was picked off from within the haze, followed by a fierce growl and a blood curdling scream.

Flames erupted shortly from within the fog, and Kabu felt himself freeze in fear as he saw a glimpse of the fangs and eyes of the beast momentarily, not only was he frozen, but he could feel himself shake with worry.  
 _He wasn't a warrior, he didn't even want to come here._  
Another scream sounded nearby as the dragon took more easy pickings for its feast, and they continued to be targeted until it was just him and the King left.

A figure slowly stepped out from behind the fog, and Kabu almost shouted a warning until he saw the man hold a hand out and pet the creature's face.  
"Thank you for feeding my familiar, he enjoyed it." He spoke, voice scarily soothing in an odd way.  
He didn't see any other way out of the situation other than fighting the way out, even if the odds seemed greatly against them, he tried to formulate a plan quickly regardless.  
His eyes fell onto the monument behind them, maybe that was their only option? Even though he wasn't sure what his options were he was sure that the other man - a warlock of some kind? - hadn't seen them yet.

"I have a plan, sire." He whispered, keeping his eyes trained on the hooded figure ahead of them, swallowing nervously as he pieced together the last parts of the idea in his plan.  
"I know it's a stupid plan but it's all I've got..."  
"Take the Shield and try to make your escape, I'll stay here and subdue them both... It's all my fault anyway so I should be the one to die if any of us..." He sighed.  
"No. I have a better idea." He suggested, moving into a stance.  
"Come at me you crazy bastard, who has such a murderous beast as a pet?"  
If his idea was pissing off the warlock and the dragon, it seemed to be working, but he also did seem to know what he was doing.

"Kabu, you kill the dragon." He said simply, throwing the sword in his direction, and he reacted just about quickly enough to catch the sword just as the dragon came for him, he closed his eyes tight in fear and held the sword above him and -   
_He was going to die._  
 _He was going to die._  
 _He was going to... die?_

He opened his eyes again in confusion and the dragon was above him, a sword plummeted in a supposedly vital spot on its chest.  
His body trembled in fear still, but he felt the adrenaline pump through him as he screamed in ire at the creature, pushing and twisting the sword even further into its chest.  
The dragon's pain was mixed with the anguished screaming from the man nearby, who the King had somehow apprehended while Kabu was waylaid.

"You... Bastards... A curse on your firstborn-"  
Before the warlock could babble on further, the King had silenced him, oblivious to whatever warning poured out of his mouth at first until the danger of it made him apprehensive.  
"Shit... Shit!"

-

 _14 Years Ago_  
The fear that something would happen to his first child upon its birth never ceased plaguing his mind, especially knowing that soon he would be a father for the first time.  
Not only that, what would people think if the heir to the Throne turned out to be some kind of goblin?  
He confided such in his wife of course, as much as he didn't want to worry her about the situation, she knew that something was wrong and pulled it out of him eventually, followed by apologies about how foolish he'd been for even considering crossing a warlock.  
And she'd reassure him all the time that it would be fine, while running fingers through his hair.

And it was fine, it all appeared to be fine, she finally gave birth to a beautiful, _normal_ looking boy, and they were filled with elation and love for him.

Kabu, also very much desired to have a child even if he didn't want to put anyone through the possibility of a miscarriage or even something possibly worse than that, the King would lend him an ear now and then when he had the free time, having become fast friends after the incident.

"You know they were probably just empty words, right? Leon is absolutely fine." He encouraged.  
"You should just throw caution to the wind, you do have a wife too, right?"  
Kabu just nodded, saying nothing and decidedly added nothing more to the conversation as he considered the King's words.

He was right, they were probably just lies, he'd have a happy healthy child too if he just made it happen.

-

 _13 years ago_  
The resounding scream that echoed around the room was enough to make Kabu ill, and as much as he wanted to be there by her side at the birth, they continuously refused him entry, and it just made him worry all the more that something wasn't going right.

For _hours_ it was like that, and the unease didn't get any better, no matter how much he tried to distract himself, the screams just pulled him back to reality until they had finally died down hours later.  
He waited with bated breath, staring at the door, waiting for news, waiting to hear a baby's cry.

He sighed in relief as soon as the sound hit his ears, and he could almost cry, he couldn't wait to hold-  
The door opened and shut in front of him and he stepped forward eagerly to hold his child, his expression one of confusion as soon as he took the child from them.  
 _Why didn't they look happy?_  
"Your wife didn't make it... And um, we don't... Know what's wrong with your son, I'm sorry." They announced bluntly, voice quiet and not laced with any sympathy at all before they retreated into the room.

 _"Wrong...?"_ He repeated, ever confused, swallowing nervously before finally looking down at the bundle they placed in his arms.  
" _No..._ "  
 _He wasn't human. He wasn't human!_

He felt completely powerless and empty as he dropped to the floor, feeling complete and utter loathing for this disgusting thing in his arms.  
" _I hate you_ " He whispered, voice hollow. " _I hate you so much._ "  
He broke into a sob, hugging the baby to his chest still, grieving and distraught.


End file.
